


if we're gonna die, let us die sugar-coated

by lifewasradical



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Acts of Kindness, Alternate Universe, Calum and Luke are broke, Calum works two jobs, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Kinda, Love Confessions, Luke and Calum's parents suck, M/M, Oh wait, Romantic Fluff, college student Luke, duh - Freeform, just so much fluff, thats enough tags now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 03:42:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29569797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lifewasradical/pseuds/lifewasradical
Summary: Calum comes home from his shitty retail job at night to Luke sitting on their bed, papers and textbooks and notebooks all over the duvet. He’s furiously scribbling on the open page, looking between his open laptop and the paper. His curls are disheveled in a way that Calum knows is from stress, though at this point Luke is in a constant state of stress.They’re broke. Like, paycheck to paycheck, working two jobs, capital B broke.Or, Luke and Calum struggle to make ends meet.
Relationships: Luke Hemmings/Calum Hood
Comments: 12
Kudos: 26





	if we're gonna die, let us die sugar-coated

**Author's Note:**

  * For [galacticsugar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/galacticsugar/gifts).



> hello hello!! this is a prompt fic for the lovely [molly](https://staticsounds.tumblr.com) with "don't even think about it". I've been ridiculously uninspired recently BUT this came to me yesterday and I've been obsessed with it ever since. additional shoutouts to [emily](https://pixiegrl.tumblr.com) for always reading my fics over and giving me all the love. and shoutout to lhfc 💜
> 
> title from ring pop by jax

Calum comes home from his shitty retail job at night to Luke sitting on their bed, papers and textbooks and notebooks all over the duvet. He’s furiously scribbling on the open page, looking between his open laptop and the paper. His curls are disheveled in a way that Calum knows is from stress, though at this point Luke is in a constant state of stress.

They’re broke. Like, paycheck to paycheck, working two jobs, capital B broke. It’s not ideal, but it’s all they have. Calum and Luke have been living like this since the moment they were kicked out of their houses after high school and forced to live on their own. Really, they wouldn’t be struggling that much if they weren’t also paying for Luke’s school, but Calum can’t and won’t complain. He wants Luke to succeed and if that means that he has to work more than one job to help out with that, then he will.

“Hi babe,” Calum says as he throws his coat on the chair that they’ve designated as their closet, kicking his shoes under it carelessly. Luke grunts in response, not looking up from his work.

Calum moves to the kitchen, opening the cabinet as if he’s going to find more than some boxes of dried pasta, jars of sauce, and cups of noodles inside. He sighs and closes the cabinet, instead taking his water bottle from the fridge. The cold water soothes his rough throat after a long day of answering customer questions and getting yelled at by everyone who comes near him. It’s not the best, but coming home to Luke after a long day is more than enough payment.

“What are you working on?” Calum asks, settling back against the countertop. From his position, he can see everything in their studio apartment: Luke sitting on the bed, the tv in the corner on some plastic totes, the desk that Luke should be using instead of sitting on the bed. It’s all right there, Calum’s entire life.

“Trying to budget. We didn’t account for my textbooks being more than $200, so we’re short this month.”

Calum sighs and takes another sip of water, “Short on what? We were short on rent last month so we can’t skimp out again.”

Luke runs a hand through his curls, tugging on the ends in frustration. “I don’t know where we can pull money from, we already cut the food budget to make up for the other missing money. Unless we’re going to go without heat or something this month,” Luke sighs, “I’ll try to see if I can pick up extra shifts at work.”

Calum furrows his eyebrows, shaking his head adamantly, “No, don’t even think about it, you’re stressed enough with school, I’ll pick up some extra shifts at the store. Maybe I can get some at the bar too.”

Luke looks up at Calum with tired eyes, smiling weakly across the room. He doesn’t say anything, but Calum can see how much this is weighing on him. It hasn’t been easy, trying to manage money while in the city when neither of them are qualified for real jobs yet. They can make ends meet sometimes, but with the semester just beginning, expenses pop up that they weren’t planning on. But it’s okay, Calum thinks, or at least it will be.

Calum crosses the room and launches himself onto his side of the bed, making Luke bounce up in the air with the force. The old mattress creaks with the weight, springs groaning under Calum from its place directly on the linoleum floor. Papers crinkle under Calum’s legs, so Luke reaches for them quickly to avoid destruction.

Calum rolls over onto his side to look up at Luke, sitting cross legged on the blanket. From this angle he looks even more exhausted, purple rings under his eyes accentuated by his pale skin. The scruff on his jaw is growing out a little more, mostly from Luke’s lack of energy for caring for himself like that. Calum loves it though, and tells Luke as much every chance he gets. Still, Calum knows that Luke hates that he doesn’t look put together, wearing clothes with holes in them and worn threadbare. He can see how it might be embarrassing going to school with rich kids on scholarships while Luke and Calum had to save for a few years for Luke to even begin school. It makes Calum sad, knowing that Luke has all of this weight on his shoulders all the time and there isn’t much that he can do to help other than work hard to keep them from being short too often.

Luke looks away from his math, turning to look at Calum. The small smile returns to his face, one shining with so much love that Calum doesn’t think he deserves. Luke is the one that deserves the world and more, the one who belongs in a castle with the finest clothes and jewelry. If Calum could, he would give Luke anything he could ever want.

“Hi,” Luke says, leaning forwards to place a kiss on Calum’s forehead. Calum tips his head up to meet Luke’s lips instead, grinning at the surprised noise that comes from Luke’s throat.

“Hi again,” Calum says when they pull back, shifting so his head is in Luke’s lap. He settles, nuzzling into the soft fabric of Luke’s sweatpants. Luke laughs, running his fingers through Calum’s curls. He bets they’re greasy and gross, but Luke doesn’t seem to mind, twirling a strand around his pointer finger.

“Want me to make something for dinner?” Luke asks, scratching at Calum’s scalp. Calum hums appreciatively, shaking his head as little as possible to get his point across while not dislodging Luke’s hand.

“No, please, can we just stay here?” Calum begs, wrapping a hand around Luke’s ankle.

Luke laughs under his breath but collects the rest of his papers and books and sets them on the floor next to the mattress, throwing Calum’s head off of his lap in the process. “Hey!” Calum complains, sticking his hands up under Luke’s sweatshirt in retaliation.

“Fuck off, your hands are fucking freezing,” Luke hisses, smacking Calum’s arms uselessly.

“They wouldn’t be if the heat was on,” Calum mumbles jokingly, scooching back a bit to make room for Luke.

What Calum doesn’t anticipate is the sad look on Luke’s face at his comment, eyes downcast and lips pressed into a line. He looks older than his years here, weathered by stress and responsibilities and the future looming over his head. His cheeks are hollow from not eating enough and his lips are bitten chapped from lack of care and Calum wants to wrap him up and protect him from the world.

“Hey, I was kidding, I’m sorry,” Calum whispers, reaching for Luke. He moves easily, tipping over into Calum’s arms. He wraps his arms around Calum’s torso, pressing his face into the crook of his neck. A featherlight kiss hits his pulsepoint as Calum tangles their legs together.

“Is it ever going to get any easier?” Luke wonders softly, words hidden in Calum’s skin.

Calum doesn’t have an answer for him, but he wishes that he could take Luke’s mind off of their situation, if only for just one night.

* * *

When Luke arrives back home after school and a long shift at the restaurant, he’s basically dead on his feet. He wants nothing more than to get in bed with Calum and sleep off the hazy feeling. It’s been weeks, if not months, of feeling like he’s slowly drowning under the pressure. He knows Calum has to be in the same boat, though they dance around talking about the situation more often than not, trying to keep up the facade that they’re okay, that they’re not broken and struggling day to day.

It’s the price that they had to pay to be together and Luke wouldn’t change it for the entire world.

Though, there are still nights where he wonders what would have happened if they didn’t tell their families. Maybe Luke would have been done with school by now, able to have some big fancy job and live a life with Calum worth enjoying, not barely scraping enough money together to afford expired coffee in the clearance section of the store.

Still, he’s lucky on nights like tonight where he’s able to take home enough food from work that him and Calum will be able to eat full meals for the next two days. It’s an uncommon luxury, getting to bring more than one meal home, but Luke’s manager sometimes sneaks him extra portions when he’s looking particularly exhausted. It’s nice of her, he thinks, to look out for him. He’s never shared the position they’re in, but Luke thinks his stress is pretty apparent based on how often he asks for extra shifts or overtime.

“Calum?” Luke calls out when he opens the door to a dark room. Calum should be home from work by now, knowing this was one of the rare days when he doesn’t have to work both jobs. Still, it’s silent in the apartment, just the hissing of the heat from their radiator.

A light flickering on spooks Luke, causing him to jump as the plastic bag he’s carrying hits his thigh. Calum is sitting on the floor in the middle of a hideous blanket fort, sheets thrown over the chair, desk, and tv. There’s a big fluffy blanket that he’s never seen before laying on the floor, along with every pillow they own. Calum is holding a bottle of sparkling apple cider in his hand, two glasses sitting on the floor next to the edge. He’s lit up in yellow light from the lamp that normally resides on the floor next to Luke’s side of the bed for when he studies late at night, instead plugged in at the back of Calum’s fort.

“What’s this?” Luke laughs, a bit awestruck. Calum’s never been the most romantic person ever, but it worked fine for them since Luke didn’t need more than just some cuddles in bed to feel special.

Calum crawls out of the fort, crossing the room to Luke. He takes the food bag from Luke, ignoring his question and going to the kitchen to plate their food. “Go get comfy,” is all Calum says, throwing a smile over his shoulder.

“Calum,” Luke starts, but Calum cuts him off.

“Food will get cold if you waste time complaining.”

Luke hesitantly agrees, heading to the bathroom to strip out of his uniform and into the same sweatpants and hoodie he’s been wearing for a week. They might stink a little, but they can only do laundry so often, so they work as long as it’s just him and Calum.

When he exits the bathroom, Luke finds Calum back in the fort, plates of food resting on the floor just outside the entrance. He’s trying to pop the bottle, failing miserably despite his concentration. Luke pauses to watch him, salivating over the way that Calum’s bicep bulges through the thin fabric of his sweatshirt. He takes a moment to glance over the apartment, seeing that things have been tidied up while he was gone, Luke always having to be the one to clean up their messes. His books and papers are on the edge of the desk not occupied by the blanket, bed made nicely, sink dishes free.

It makes him a little sappy, as much as he doesn’t want to admit it. He can’t remember the last time he felt fully taken care of and it’s clear that Calum has put a lot of thought and effort into this plan of his. Luke can’t help but feel a bit guilty, knowing that Calum is working two jobs and probably shouldn’t be spending the rest of his energy on making things nice for him.

“Don’t just stand there, come here,” Calum calls, grinning as he pours their fizzy drink.

Luke tries to reign in his lanky limbs as he crawls in next to Calum. The fort is cozy, just big enough for the two of them to fit and space to move their arms, as if it was tailor made for the two of them. Calum reaches forward to give Luke his plate before taking his own, inhaling the scent of fresh food.

“How did you know I was going to have food?” Luke laughs, taking a fork full of his asparagus. Calum grins slyly, like he has a secret that he isn’t willing to tell. Instead, he takes a sip of his drink, crinkling his nose at the bubbles.

“And where did you get sparkling cider? We said no more food purchases this week,” Luke asks, feeling his heart rate increase a little at the idea of spending money frivolously.

“Calm down, I promise I didn’t spend any money. Don’t worry about it, please. Just--” Calum swallows a bite of potatoes “Enjoy yourself? This is supposed to be a relaxing night in together, I don’t want you stressing about things today.”

Luke deflates, shoulders sagging as he digs into his meal silently. At some point, Calum puts on a soft playlist, acoustic love songs filling the space. It’s a bit cliche, but Luke can feel the attention that Calum has put into this night, making sure that everything is right.

It’s… perfect, Luke thinks, looking over at Calum in awe. He’s been in love with Calum for as long as he could remember, back when they were teenagers trying to figure shit out for the first time and didn’t know what it meant to be adults. Calum has been right through his side through thick and thin, making sure that he’s there when Luke needs him, no matter the day or time. He’s strong, reliable, caring, thoughtful; he’s everything that Luke always dreamed of when he was a kid and wishing for love.

Luke puts his plate down outside the fort, taking Calum’s too when he’s finished. They lay down on the furry blanket, soft fuzz tickling Luke’s cheek neck when he lays down across the floor. Calum follows behind him, pulling Luke to his chest.

“What did I do to deserve you,” Luke says softly, pressing a kiss to Calum’s cheek.

“Please, it’s me who is lucky to have you,” Calum counters.

Luke shakes his head. “No, honestly, I just. You don’t know how much I love you. When I have you by my side, I don’t feel like things are so dismal. You’re the silver lining to my rain cloud, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I feel like I’ve won the fucking lottery with you, because as long as you’re with me, I have everything I could ever need. You’re my rock and I-” Luke cuts himself off, swallowing the lump in his throat. He wants to blame it on the stress of the week, knowing that he’s been so overwhelmed with work and classes and not getting enough sleep. But, deep down, he knows that he’s just so completely grateful to have Calum.

Calum smiles so hard that his cheeks make his eyes squint, all wrinkly and childlike. It’s Luke’s favorite look on Calum, pure happiness untainted by the shitshow that is their life. He wants to bottle it up and drink it when he’s at his lowest, an instant shot of happiness.

“Well, babe, that’s just the way I feel about you. Wanted to remind you of that tonight, because I hate that you’ve been so stressed out the past few weeks, months, years. It’s not easy, but you’re the only one I would want by my side through life.”

Silence falls over them naturally, content with easy existence. Luke wants to live in this moment forever, hidden away from reality in their studio apartment oasis. With Calum as his partner, Luke knows that anything is possible and he’s the richest man in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Talk to me on Tumblr [lifewasradical](https://lifewasradical.tumblr.com) 💜


End file.
